The Sales Playbook For Founders | Startup School
Navigating B2B sales for the first time can feel slow and overwhelming.
Drawing from his experience founding Monzo and GoCardless, YC's Tom Blomfield shares his playbook for running a tight sales process that lands real, recurring revenue. He walks through each step—free and paid pilots, opt-out contracts, long-term deals—and shows how to prove value and close customers.
Apply to Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/apply
Work at a startup: https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs
Chapters:
00:21 - The Typical B2B Sales Progression
01:00 - Common Pitfalls in Early Stages
01:38 - Understanding Design Partnerships
02:56 - Identifying Customer Problems
04:18 - Avoiding Overbuilding
06:11 - Transitioning to Free Trials
07:11 - Defining Success Metrics
08:38 - Overcoming Customer Objections
10:01 - Moving to Paid Trials
10:20 - Securing Financial Commitments
11:30 - Optimizing Pilot Engagement
13:47 - Recurring Revenue Contracts
15:33 - Focusing on Customer Success
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Chapters (13)
0:21
The Typical B2B Sales Progression
1:00
Common Pitfalls in Early Stages
1:38
Understanding Design Partnerships
2:56
Identifying Customer Problems
4:18
Avoiding Overbuilding
6:11
Transitioning to Free Trials
7:11
Defining Success Metrics
8:38
Overcoming Customer Objections
10:01
Moving to Paid Trials
10:20
Securing Financial Commitments
11:30
Optimizing Pilot Engagement
13:47
Recurring Revenue Contracts
15:33
Focusing on Customer Success
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